Straightening the sidestand

[NobleHops]

OK, so my sidestand is banana-like, and so my bike leans waaaaay over when it's on it. Phil Taber has encouraged me to put a pipe on it and simply bend it back, and so with a mild amount of trepidation, I will. So the next questions are then, "How" and then "How much"?

I'm thinking I might try to U-bolt it to my workbench, slip a piece of pipe over it and try to work it back. Bright ideas and suggestions for how to brace it and what to do or not do to keep it from cracking are most welcome. Does anyone have a straight one they can photograph for me in the same orientation as this for a guide?



TIA,

N.

[daves79x]

Nils:
The rib you see in the photo running lengthwise needs to end up perfectly straight. I put a large pipe wrench right between where the wire loop meets the stand and the spring hook. Clamp the other end in a vice and put a cheater on the pipe wrench. Might want to cushion the jaws so as not to mark the nice paint (I usually do this before paint). It will straighten right out.

Dave

[NobleHops]

Wow, OK, so that rib should end up in line with the gap and teeny nub at right? Like this?



Still a little misty on how I'm going to get to reef on it in the right direction if I attack it with a pipe wrench where you say, but I'll chuck it up in my vice and take it from there.
I will photograph the fun if it's not too bloody.

Thanks as always Dave,

N.

[daves79x]

Nils:
Slide the pipe wrench onto the main shaft of the stand where I indicated. To straighten, you are going to lever sideways on the wrench. Hope that helps more. And, yes, the rib should be straight.

Dave

[CopperCollar]

I used a press on mine, worked like a charm. Any local machine shop should be able to do this for you.

Mike

[daves79x]

Mike:
Another, obviously less damaging alternative to straightening Nils nice painted stand. Both ways are a little tough to get the push exactly where you need it, but can be done. Side benefit here Nils is that the sidestand will now actually rest on the rubber stopper of the exhaust correctly!

Dave

[NobleHops]

OK, quickly for now, here's the before and 'after' shots. More later.





N.

[barryadam]

Where's the blood? And the photos of the greasy suit jacket? Busted knuckles?

Nice work, Nils.

[EMS]

Wow! That was one heck of a cold-forming process. Turned out awesome. Nils, we may need some guys down the road who are handy in applying brute force with simple tools. Do you want to send your resume?

[NobleHops]

Haha! Thankfully the wrench didn't slip while I was reefing on it hard or I would have probably gone through the wall. All my weight on the end of the pipe wrench wouldn't budge it so I had to reverse the part in the vise and push up against it, and without a cheater bar I had to mash hard enough on it that I was hearing popping sounds from my joints

Being midnight-thirty and with a few scotches already on board, I did not pause to wrap the part in innertube, and so I did nick my powdercoat with the pipe wrench. I filed and sanded the nicks smooth and may attempt to re-coat the entire part with Eastwood's Chassis Black epoxy paint and see if it sticks to chemically-dulled powdercoat. It will be a worthy experiment and I can always re-blast and powder the part if it doesn't work.

Will write it up in more detail...

N.

[ajs350]

Nils
My side stand is the same and I was wonderinmg how to fix it. Now I know.
Thanks!
Ross

[bhf]

the ribs also be just the other way? can any. put pictures of how you have done it? thereby also how the tool should sit and where the wrench?

[Jeff Bennetts]

I use a there foot length of pipe and just slip it over the stand with the other end in a vise and pull, it's my old dirt bike handle bar straightener, works like a charm.

If the pipe has a large enough diameter you'll have enough room to wrap the side stand with a shop towel to avoid any damage to the paint.